ByL2 ·

11 June 2014

According to a CDC survey, 31% of U.S. drivers ages 18-64 reported that they had read or sent text messages at least once within the previous 30 days. The dangers of texting while driving are well-known but easily forgotten when at the wheel.
In a Hong Kong movie theatre, Volkswagen tested a new ‘texting while driving’ awareness ad and made a video about it called Volkswagen-Eyes on the Road.

During pre-feature commercials, a clip of a an individual driving down a road, viewed from the drivers perspective appeared on the movie screen. After a few seconds, using a location based broadcaster inside the theatre, geo-local texts were sent to the spectators. As they looked down to pull their phones out of their pockets and begin reading the driver in the projected clip loses control and crashes. Directly after, a message telling drivers that “mobile use is now the leading cause of death behind the wheel” to “keep your eyes on the road” is projected on the screen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHixeIr_6BM

Safety while using a brands products has always been a major concern for brands. Earlier this year, Johnnie Walker released a Youtube film promoting the #ImNOTdriving that coincided with the final formula 1 race to drive awareness to the dangers of driving while drunk. Volkswagen’s Eyes on the Road has taken awareness to a new kinesthetic experience by by bringing the audiences attention to their phone while the event takes place. With the capabilities of geo-location texting, Volkswagen’s video might be a precursor for types of multichannel safety awareness projects we could see from brands in the near future.